My son, now 12 and a middle grader, agrees that he likes to read but is not a bookworm. He likes to read, he likes to be read to, and he likes to read together, but it’s rare for reading to be his first activity of choice (he’d usually prefer to draw). Note my surprise … Continue reading Book Review: Holes by Louis Sachar. A book that hooked my non-bookworm middle grader
Thoughts and questions about art
Browsing in a bookshop over the summer, my eyes were drawn to the bright pink cover of a small Faber book, what art does: an unfinished theory. It is a collaboration between electronic musician Brian Eno and artist Bette A. It has the form of a picture book—playful with fonts and layout, interspersed with sketches. … Continue reading Thoughts and questions about art
Book ‘Review’: Scarlet and Ivy series, books 1-3, by Sophie Cleverly
The Lost Twin Whispers in the Walls The Dance in the Dark I’m ‘reviewing’ – honestly more a wholehearted recommendation than a review - the first half of this series together because my 8 year old daughter has been racing through them at such a pace that by the time I got organised to review … Continue reading Book ‘Review’: Scarlet and Ivy series, books 1-3, by Sophie Cleverly
Introducing the kids to Shakespeare – Part 2 of ? – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, take 1, London 2023
As I said in my previous post about kids and Shakespeare, the first real play I took my son to was A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe in London in the summer of 2023 when he was 9½. So here's the story, and some further thoughts on how I've been trying to introduce my … Continue reading Introducing the kids to Shakespeare – Part 2 of ? – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, take 1, London 2023
Teaching my children to read (and my on-going love for Usborne books
Happy New Year to all! At the time of year when so many of us try to 're-set', have a fresh start, try again, I've decided to share some information that quite a few friends have asked me about over the years - what material did I use when I taught my kids to read? … Continue reading Teaching my children to read (and my on-going love for Usborne books
Happy Book-ish Holidays!
I had intended to send out another planned post - organised, thought out. Instead, today I choose to send my very warmest, most book-ish good wishes for the holidays wishing a peaceful New Year to you and yours, with a small dose of book-thoughts and news. I love the community we have around us; people … Continue reading Happy Book-ish Holidays!
Introducing the kids to Shakespeare – Part 1 of ?
Yes, I know this blog is all about books for children, but for today’s post (and this mini-series – however long it ends up being) it’s about literature for children, and we’re expanding out to consider the theatre. I love the theatre. Almost any theatre. Big shows, small shows, fancy productions, school productions, serious, funny, … Continue reading Introducing the kids to Shakespeare – Part 1 of ?
We wrote a kids’ book together!
I suppose many of us had a ‘lockdown project’. I know we were very fortunate in being able to work from home, relatively safe, and at least together as an immediate family, even as we were separated from our wider family. Those days, before the vaccines, before we really knew how Covid spread, are strange … Continue reading We wrote a kids’ book together!
Anyone for a Book Date?
The ‘book date’ or 'reading date' has become a feature of our family life and really just gives a name to the simplest of things – sitting and reading together. This is not reading aloud, although book daters sometimes like to ask a question, or share a passage, or check a word. It’s the act … Continue reading Anyone for a Book Date?
Reading to my (slightly older) children: Children’s Classics
About a year ago, I decided the younger child was just old enough, and the older child still young enough, that I would read some classic children’s books to them both. It’s settled into a reasonably relaxing pre-bedtime ritual. Once the younger is ready in pyjamas, the three of us gather in her room. The … Continue reading Reading to my (slightly older) children: Children’s Classics
Books for Our Children 
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